What is soft wheat?

Wheat is the leading cereal grain produced, consumed and traded in the world today. The term ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ as applied to wheats are descriptions of the texture or the wheat kernel.

Wheats in the soft wheat class are softer than those of the hard wheat class. Hardness of wheat is a result of the strength of the adhesion between starch and protein in the endosperm.

In durum and hard wheat, the interactions between protein and starch are strong, whereas the interactions are weaker in soft wheat.

Flour obtained from soft wheat kernels has a smaller average particle size than does flour from hard wheat kernels. The internal structure of soft wheat is weak, so its endosperm is readily broken into small fragments.

The endosperm of soft wheat also adhered more firmly to the bran than does hard wheat endosperm.

Soft wheat contains less protein, usually 7 to 9 percent, and thus less gluten. The flour made from them is generally used for pie doughs, cakes, cookies, biscuits and pancakes.
What is soft wheat?